Explanation:
What caused the streaks in this Martian crater?
Since the
above image shows streaks occurring both inside and outside the crater, they were surely created after the crater-causing impact.
Newly formed trails like these presented researchers with
a tantalizing martian mystery but have now been identified as
likely the work of miniature
wind vortices known to occur on
the red planet -
martian dust devils.
Another example of windprocesses on an active Mars,
dust devils had been detected passing near the Viking and
Mars Pathfinder landers.
Such spinning columns of rising air heated by the warm surface
are common in dry and desert areas on planet Earth.
Typically lasting only a few minutes, they becoming visible
as they pick up loose dust.
On Mars,
dust devils can be up to 8 kilometers
high and leave
dark trails as they disturb the bright, reflective surface dust.